Advance directive resources
By Eleanor Tanno, M.D. The world watched in real time the cardiac arrest and resuscitation of NFL player Damar Hamlin on the football field. In the moments that followed his collapse, the stadium grew...
By Eleanor Tanno, M.D. Naming your “medical wishes” for end-of-life planning can be a daunting task. If you are not familiar with the medical field, this is a tall order. I liken this to asking someone...
By Eleanor Tanno, M.D. In every specialty of medicine, you will see patients who are nearing the end of their lives. You may not consciously think about it, but you notice it in subtle ways. Perhaps it...
When complicated sibling dynamics get in the way of caring for an aging parent By Eleanor Tanno, M.D. Caring for an aging parent is one of the most stressful times in life. In my primary care practice,...
The 15 minute conversation that can prevent a lifetime of guilt By Eleanor Tanno, M.D. When someone is critically ill and in the hospital, physicians usually first consult their family members about the...
An advance directive is a legal document that records your medical wishes in the event you are not able to make your own medical decisions. As long are you are able to coherently speak for yourself, your...
Your Medical Power of Attorney (POA) is someone you choose to make medical decisions for you in the event you are too critically ill to make your own decisions. Your POA is formally and legally named in...
Making an advance directive can seem overwhelming at first. However, once you learn some of the common terminology and become familiar with your necessary state forms, it is pretty straightforward. The...
What does it mean to be Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)? The more informative question is, what does it look like to be resuscitated? A resuscitation is attempted when your heart is not beating and you are not...
THE ONE QUESTION YOUR FAMILY SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER ABOUT YOUR ADVANCE DIRECTIVE “I would want to live as long as I could still ___.” This is one of the most critical questions to define your end-of-life...